The Biggest Loser

I just watched the first episode of the latest series of the American Biggest Loser. It's yet another one of those reality tv shows where people try to lose weight. The show is supposed to be inspirational, but I'm not sure if it that or is exploitative, but that's another argument.

I must admit that it is fairly addictive television. The first series that I watched last year, I initially thought that it was a bad show about hopeless people. However, I somehow kept watching and wanted to see the emotional roller coaster that the contestants went on. The main theme I got from the contestants last year and this year is that they are motivated to lose weight. This makes me wonder how they ever got so fat in the first place if they are such motivated people.

The answer, I think, lies in that everyone looks for an easy way out. They see the Biggest Loser as their last chance to lose weight easily. It's not up to themselves to be motivated and do the work, they constantly have someone there pushing them. I guess that is the problem with most people, myself included. We always look for the easy way out where we aren't responsible for our own actions and can rely on someone else. I always say that, if I had money, I too could hire personal trainers and chefs to cook for me and lose weight quickly like the celebrities. But really, would I do it even if I did have money, I'm not sure. I think you need a motivational driving force to keep you going. Celebrities rely on their image to make their money, and hence have incentive to lose weight. But even the richest people just can't control their weight sometimes, just look at Oprah.

Earlier this year, I had my own small turning point as such. My weight was slowly increasing and I knew it too. However, all I did was talk about losing weight and never actually did it. The turning point came when I went to buy a new pair of pants for work. I got my usual size, but when I went to try them on, they were way too small. I had to get the next size up. It was at that moment that I decided I needed to do something. The next day, I went and bought the CSIRO diet book and started on my CSIRO diet. It was hard at the start since I had to eat vegetables (and ask anyone that knows me and they will tell you I HATE vegetables) and other not so pleasant food. However, I slowly started to adapt and found I even liked some food. To this day, I still eat wholemeal brown bread and like eating some vegetables. I also got into an exercise routine and slowly the weight did come off. I felt much better internally and also started to look better too.

However, once I reached my target weight, my good habits started to disappear again. I've found lately that some bad habits are definitely returning. I've had some late night snacks, eating really unhealthy food (I currently have a cream addiction where I eat fruit, cakes and biscuits with thick cream) and have stopped exercising. I guess maybe the Biggest Loser is inspirational in a way. After seeing the show, I have decided that I need to get into my good habits again so that I don't end up like the contestants and in such a desperate position where I think my only hope is for a reality show to save me. There is nothing stopping them, and me, from going outside each day and running, eating healthy food and just motivating myself to keep fit.